Updated NFL playoff picture, Week 14: Chiefs, Rams on top

The Chiefs and Rams are currently at the top of their conferences, but they both still have plenty of work to do this season.

Just like it has been for much of the 2018 season, the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs own their respective conferences.

Though both teams currently sit in their respective top spots, neither team has clinched yet. The Rams (11-1) are the only team to have officially clinched a spot in the playoffs, but they are still trying to fend off the New Orleans Saints (10-2), who are only one game behind them in the NFC.

As for the AFC, the Chiefs (10-2) have not surrendered the No. 1 seed despite taking their share of hits in recent weeks. Despite putting up an incredible 51 points in that Week 11 Monday night thriller, they were outdueled by the Rams, who scored 54 to win the game.

As an aside… here’s how the playoff picture looks following Thursday Night Football …

NFC

Additionally, in an issue that is much bigger than football, the Chiefs parted ways with superstar running back Kareem Hunt in the wake of abusive video footage being released, which undoubtedly had to take a toll on this team. Despite being caught up in that mess, Kansas City’s offense was still electric in their 40-33 win over the Oakland Raiders last week, and they still maintain a one-game lead over the New England Patriots and Houston Texans (both 9-3) in the AFC.

The Chiefs and Rams both look like the teams that should be bound for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, but plenty can change over the final four weeks of an NFL season. As mentioned earlier, those two teams only have one-game cushions over the second place teams in each conference. Kansas City’s next two games will be against the Ravens and Chargers (two teams also fighting for playoff positioning), while L.A.’s next two opponents are the Bears (arguably the best defense in the league) and Eagles (another hot team also trying to earn a playoff berth).

Despite the fact that they are sitting pretty right now, the Rams and Chiefs still have a lot to play for over the season’s final month. Earning the top seed in your conference can do wonders for your chances of reaching the Super Bowl, but they still have plenty of work to do to lock those top seeds up.